Bishal Bharadwaj

Research Associate, University of Calgary, Canada

Adjunt Research Fellow, IET, Curtin University, Australia

Environmental policy analyst

I am a quantitative economic geographer by orientation who is interested in evaluating environmental policies (energy, plastic, pollution and climate change) in heterogeneous contexts to identify strategies to make sure the policies are effective and equitable.

I currently work as a Researcher at the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering University of Calgary, where I work on issues related to environment and development in the Global South. I am also engaged in the sustainable decarbonisation of energy systems.

Selected Articles

Plastic and Waste

Bharadwaj, B., Gates, T., Borthakur, M. et al. (2025)The use of plastic as a household fuel among the urban poor in the Global South. Nat Cities . https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00201-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101100

Bharadwaj, B., U. Kc and M. N. Subedi (2025). "Optimal inspection (monitoring) and penalty (fine) for plastic bag ban compliance in Nepal." Environmental Development 53: 101100.

Bharadwaj, B., Subedi, M. N., & Rai, R. K. (2023). Retailer's characteristics and compliance with the single-use plastic bag ban. Sustainability Analytics and Modeling, 100019.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.samod.2023.100019

Bharadwaj, B., et al. (2021). "Where is my reusable bag? Retailers' bag use before and after the plastic bag ban in Dharan Municipality of Nepal." Waste Manag 120: 494- 502.

Bharadwaj B, Rai RK, Nepal M (2020) Sustainable financing for municipal solid waste management in Nepal. PLoS ONE 15(8): e0231933.

Bharadwaj, B., et al. (2019). "What makes a ban on plastic bags effective? The case of Nepal." Environment and Development Economics 25(2): 95-114.

Energy

Bharadwaj B., Kambo A., Witt, K., Wade, B., Weder, F. and Ashworth, P. (2024) Shorter message, stronger framing increases societal acceptance for hydrogen, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

Bharadwaj, B., Kambo, A., Arratia-Solar, A., Ashworth, P., 2023. Awareness of biogas increases its social acceptance. Journal of Cleaner Production 421, 138432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138432

Bharadwaj, B., Subedi, M. N., Malakar, Y., & Ashworth, P. (2023). Low-capacity decentralized electricity systems limit the adoption of electronic appliances in rural Nepal. Energy Policy, 177, 113576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113576

Subedi, M. N., Bharadwaj, B., & Rafiq, S. (2023). Who benefits from the decentralised energy system (DES)? Evidence from Nepal's micro-hydropower (MHP). Energy Economics, 106592. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2023.106592

Bharadwaj B. Weder F., Ashworth P., (2023) More support for hydrogen export than its domestic application in Australia, Humanities and Social Science Communication https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01476-y

Bishal Bharadwaj et al 2022 Space Matters: reducing energy disparity in Nepal through spatially equitable renewable energy subsidies Environ. Res. Commun. in press https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac9458

Lopez, L. Bhardwaj, B., Sales A. D., Khambo, A., Ashworth, P. (2022) Societal acceptance of hydrogen in domestic and export applications in Australia.

Bharadwaj, B., Y. Malakar, M. Herington and P. Ashworth (2022). "Context matters: Unpacking decision-making, external influences and spatial factors on clean cooking transitions in Nepal." Energy Research & Social Science 85: 102408.

Bharadwaj, B., et al. (2021). "Why firewood? Exploring the co-benefits, socio-ecological interactions and indigenous knowledge surrounding cooking practice in rural Nepal." Energy Research & Social Science 75: 101932.

Selected Report

Batterham, Robin, Beiraghi, Jordan, Bharadwaj, Bishal, Bolt, Richard, Brear, Michael, Cullen, Brendan, Davis, Dominic, Domansky, Katherin, Eckard, Richard, Greig, Chris, Jones, Ryan, Keenan, Rodney, Kiri, Utkarsh, Lopez Peralta, Maria, Pascale, Andrew, Smart, Simon, Strawhorn, Tom, Tabatabaei, Mojgan, Vosshage, Oscar, Vecchi, Andrea, and Zhang, Yimin Net Zero Australia - Interim results. Net Zero Australia Australia: Net Zero Australia

Get in touch at bishal.bharadwaj.14@alumni.ucl.ac.uk LinkedIn @Bishal_Bhardwaj

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